Dealing with Blogger’s Block

Do you ever suffer from Blogger’s Block? It’s not a common thing for me, but when it hits, it hits hard. To the point where my mind looks something like this: [ ]. Not pretty is it?

There are a few tricks I use when The Block rears its ugly head. One is to simply start writing. About anything.

To whit, the opening line of this post.

Usually, if I’m working on a book or an article or some other form of writing, I simply switch projects.

Blogging is somehow different. It doesn’t seem to matter what I distract myself with, the blink-blink-blink of the cursor remains. Perhaps it is because blogging is so personal. If your brain is blank and you’re essentially writing about yourself, you know you’ve got problems.

Another trick I try is a good, long walk. This has the benefit of both clearing my mind and shrinking my butt. Walking around the block usually clears The Block. (As does weeding, but we won’t bring out my gardening/writing metaphors today.)

I’d like to be one of those bloggers who has a list of ideas at the ready at all times. But the truth is that I generally sit down with little to no idea of what I’m going to post that day (unless it’s a Q&A, of course… have I ever mentioned how much I love Q&As?). This leaves me to be all footloose and freewheeling on a good day.